Help with 3 Day trip

i%26#39;m going to charleston next month, and need a little help. I used this site for the first time for help with my recent NYC trip, and it was awesome! I usually go to charleston once a year, usually around memorial weekend. I will only have 3 days, so i%26#39;m trying to use my time wisely.

Last year, we did the horse and buggy tour, california dreamin%26#39;, big oak tree, kiawah, isle of palms, ft. sumpter, folly beach, etc. Couple things we didnt get to do we kinda wanted to was a ghost tour, and a plantation tour. I need some help with that. I know there are several ghosts tours, so i%26#39;m trying to find the best one. Also, which plantation tour is the best? not dayton though i knwo someone who went there and they didnt think it was all that great.

Another thing is food. I plan on trying Jestines cause i%26#39;ve heard its pretty good. And one of my favorite places to eat is the ';Kickin%26#39; Chicken';! That place is awesome i think.. We love food like that, and italion. Does anyone knwo of any really good italian resteraunts? I also heard of dinner being available on some plantion tour. Is it any good? Are they any links that?

thanks for any help and ideas!

MATT

Help with 3 Day trip

Were in Charleston for 2 days last week and would definitely recommend Middleton Place....middletonplace.org

It%26#39;s a wonderful experience; the gardens are spectacular, the history fascinating and the carriage ride through the grounds was informative and worth the expense.

They do have a restaurant on the grounds that%26#39;s open for lunch or dinner. You would likely need a reservation.

The Italian restaurant we really enjoyed was Il Cortile Del Re at 193 King St. It%26#39;s in the Historic District and was quite busy the evening we were there (a Tuesday) so do make reservations. They have a bar where you can also drink and dine, if need be.

Enjoy!

Help with 3 Day trip

I concur...re: Middleton Place.

Try Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant. There is an Italian joint near the Market called Bocci%26#39;s. For more restaurants like Kicken Chicken, check out all of King Street--there are tons of little cheap eateries.

YOu know what else? You should tour the Yorktown and accompanying VietNam exhibit. It will give you a real appreciation for what those guys endured on that ship during and after WW II.

Check my post above to the last topic as well.

I agree about Middleton. Just incredible. Jestine%26#39;s was terrible. Total waste of money and time and the owner was so rude it was unreal. There is another place around the corner from the Andrew Pinkney Inn that does the real low country food but I can%26#39;t remember the name of it! Ask a local while you%26#39;re there and they will tell you for sure.

Hank%26#39;s is great. The Library at the Vendue was very good....there are so many great restaurants there.

I would also go to the bar at the top of the new Market Pavillion Hotel for a view that is just unbelievable! Just tell the doorman you%26#39;re going in to the bar and they let you right through.

Have fun! My favorite city for sure!

We were in Charleston May 1 thru 6. Enjoyed Middleton Place very much! The grounds are very well kept. Just ate a sandwich there, but had some awesome peach cobbler that had been sent to the market by the restaurant.

We ate at Jestines and the service and food could not have been better. The entire staff was so friendly and seemed to be having fun working. See my post for Jestines.

We spend 5 hours touring the Yorktown, the submarine and other ships. I enjoyed it very much, even though I am not that much into history.

We did a ghost tour with the Original Charleston tours. It was fun. Not sure that it was the best. Our hotel concierge recommended Oh! Charleston for the ghost tour, but we waited too late to get in on that one.

Our favorite meal was at Vickery%26#39;s at Shem Creek in Mt Pleasant. I ate the Low Country Saute (great shrimp,crab, crawfish on grits) and my husband had the Blue Cheese Burger- he said it was the best burger he had ever eaten. It is located on Shem Creek where all the shrimp boats come in. We saw dolphins swimming in the creek. Great atmosphere!

We did a nature harbor tour with Sandlapper tours. Went out by Fort Sumter and then we stopped at Morris Island to walk on the beach for about 30 minutes. I thought we were going out by Morris Island lighthouse, so I was a little disappointed. But it was a very informative tour about the environment of the harbor.

Had good lunches at Cafe Cafe on Meeting Street and Market Street Cafe.

Go on a walking tour that takes you into several of the churches. We did this on our own and they are so beautiful and filled with so much history.

Try Marion Square on Saturdays--It%26#39;s in the downtown area, a sort of market. We visit our college student child often. If you enjoy Civil War history the Fort Sumter Tour is interesting. Yorktown is great if you have even a little interest in history esp. military history. If you want to see a nice beach Isle of Palm is about 1/2 hour drive. I agree with the Jesteens comment. The food was bad and service really rude.